Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-17
THE MEDICAL EXAMINERS.
A Letter from fne secretary OF the
Board.

Although both yourself and your read
ers are doubtless already wcarled oil the
"Medical Examining Board" we are
nevertheless omboldened, in justice to
the board itself and to the medical pro-
fession of the State, no less than to the
entirety Of its citizens, to ask that you
"hear us OF your clemercy a few words
in regard to the proposed changes In the
medical law
In your issue of November goth last n
writer, Il. n. W., manifests desire to
wipe the Medical Examining Board ont
of existence, on the ground that its Gre
alton WAS q work OF supererogatlon on the
part of our lawmakers. This gentleman
graduated, he says, forty-five years ago,
and though a reading, thinking student
he seems to have lost sight of the fact
that in his half century NEARLY many
changes have taken place in the Ameri-
can system of doctor-making. When
f. N. w. left the shades of his Alma Ma
ter there were hardly dozen medical
schools IN this country, and though
since he graduated our population has
increased fourfold Ia rapid growth,
truly our medical schools have only in
creased about twenty-fiv fold.
Now if this change in the ratio OF
medical schools to our population was
only numerical one we should have no.
thing to say or, in other words, If the
majority of the medical schools OF to-
day were as ably manned as in his day,
we would think there were grounds for
opposing the existence OF such a board
Without. however, undertaking to par
ticularize, We must say that when gradu-
ates from medical colleges come before
our good citizens with no more know
ledge of anatomy than to assert that man
is composite creature with thirty SIX
separate and distinct bones in his spinal
column. and with his sides ahove his
diaphragm; when they want to pour
tincture of aconite and crOtOn oil down
peoples throats in teaspoonful doses, and
give morphine five grains at time
when they want to treat our women
under certain critical conditions in such
manner as would be murder--and these
are only a few out of the many cases of
| ignorance Which this board has met with
we do say that the State should inter
pose some protecting influence between
the diploma-granting and licensing
powers.
The immense number of medical
schools in the country makes them all SC
eager to fill their halls with students that
all sorts OF advantages (?) are offered
Young men, and such inducements held
out that persons totally unified to study
| a branch of science or even TO think OF
act intelligently are allowed to under
take to become physicians, and that by 9
method of shorthand very frequently
and not after two or more years of hard
Study. as DIR. Il. n. w. believes.
The medical law "a it now stands haC
for one OF its objects the allowing per
sons applying for license to practice
medicine and surgery in Virginia oppor
tunity OF standing their examination
without the trouble and expense OF re
pairing to points remote from theil
residences. But Tint that provision o
the law is very seldom taken adVantag,
of is shown by the fact that Applicant
for license frequently pass by two OF
three examiners on their way to reacl
others who have acquired the reputation
of being more lenlent than their col
leagues. Then, too, the sessions of thu
board-or certainly one OF them-i
always held at the capital Of the State
aud Immediately after the commence
plcnts OF nearly all of the prominen
medical schools OF the North and East
whittier most Of the young men resort
so that any can avail themselves of TIM
opportunity Of being examined with M
trouble and less expense than would b'
incurred in going to the homes OF The
individuals composing the board.
Again Individual examinations canno
be conducted and results reached on tn,
merits of an applicant.
The applicant goes to the home of the
examiner and is there as his guest, having
in many instances introduced himself 10y
giving the history OF his poverty ard o
mother and sisters dependent on him
These examiners are all kind hearted
men. and their sympathies are promptly
enlisted in behalf Of this poor younl
man. The applicant is left in the exam
iner's office, where are numerous book
and periodicals Offering a strong aud, a
can Ire proven, sometimes Irresistible
temptation TO use unfair means in IN
swering the questions propounded. Thu
busy practitioner cannot remain in hi
Office TO watch over the applicants. MANI
of whom regard the medical law as some
thing to be gotten over by fair means o.
10y foul, persuading themselves that Their
is no more discredit in cheating through
the State examination than Ill paying
their taxes in coupons.
The members Of the Medical Exami
ming Board meet in semi-annual session
each year, one OF these sessions beinl
required by Law to be held in the city o
Richmond; and when these busy mel
sacrifice their own interests, defray thei
own expenses, and put themselves t
great Inconvenience for the benefit o
the medical profession, the cause OF med
ical education in the State, and for TIN
real benefit Of the entire mass of TIL
people of the State, the aspirant for ad
mission to practice should be require,
TO come before the board in session AM
not allowed 10 put On extra tax upon tn
examiners, particularly as they reall,
save time and money by doing SO.
The examinations, as conducted by th
board in session, are so managed that al
applicant passes solely on his merits
and no opportunity for favoritism i
afforded. For instance, each apphcan
hands lis name 10 the secretary of m
board, who, in turn, hands the applican
number with which he is 10 sign al
his answers, aud when the papers hr
examined no examiner is aware VIII
No. So and SO is until oil tho average
have been taken.
The Appalachian system" Of ex
aiming bofrds- see the Richmond Dis
patch OF Sunday, december II, 1887
when compared with the exact status o